Early and Moderate Stage Chronic Kidney Disease – Winner in Healthline's Best Six Kidney Disease Blogs of 2016 & 2017

According to a study published in Diabetes Care this past July, “Weight control through diet and exercise can prevent most cases of type 2 diabetes in American women over age 50…” I am a woman. I am an American. I am over the age of 50. And I have chronic kidney disease which can be a cause of diabetes. Therefore, I am also confused. (One place to read about this study is http://www.drugs.com/news/weight-control-can-cut-women-s-diabetes-risk-study-shows-39516.html.)

Okay, so my wildest dream of not having to exercise to avoid illness has finally come true. Or has it? I looked over the articles I’d saved about my nemesis. It was a lot easier to force myself to exercise four years ago than it is now. My knees troubled me a bit then, but that was it. Now it’s the knees, right hip, feet, and shoulders. I honestly do exercise, but it’s not half as much fun as it used to be. Sure enough, in the articles I’d saved, I ran right into a bunch of reasons to keep up the exercise.

“Statin therapy and physical fitness amounted to a one-two punch for lowering mortality risk in a large cohort of middle-age and older patients with dyslipidemia followed for 10 years.” Damn! I have dyslipidemia (high cholesterol) and periodically need to pay closer attention to it. According to this study originally printed in The Lancet, I need to keep exercising – if not to prevent myself from developing the horrors of Type II Diabetes possible outcomes, then to keep the dyslipidemia under control… and I need to keep watching my diet. You can read the article via Medpage at: http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/GeneralPrimaryCare/36134?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mobile&utm_campaign=medpage%2Biphone%20app.

Well, what about my knees and my other hurting parts that make me NOT want to exercise? The best quote I found came from Dr. Candice Johnstone at the Radiological Society of North America’s press briefing this year when she spoke about exercising in moderation,

“I was not surprised by these results. This is more like common sense,” added Johnstone,

who is from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. “This adds to information

Dr. Johnstone’s reference to common sense seems like… well, common sense. If it hurts, don’t do it. If you can do it with modification so that no pain is incurred, do it. You try not to poke at a tooth that hurts, don’t you? So why poke at a joint that hurts?

All right now, just one more article. This one just about convinced me I should be happy about exercising. “Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake. However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity.” I can accept that. But what was the convincing part of the article is this:

Now I remember why I started exercising. I love life. I love avoiding extra medication for ailments I could have handled with life style changes (sorry, Dr. Fisher). I love moving and feeling alive.

Of course today’s blog leaves me thinking that I must continue to exercise. Am I happy about that? No, I can’t honestly say I am, but I will do so. Who knows, maybe it’ll keep me healthy enough that I’ll live long enough to see grand-children instead of just grand-animals.

Announcing the winners of last week’s contest to find the most creative use of the useless garden tub in my master bathroom:

Advocator Peruza – a copy of the book is on its way to her now and it’s personally inscribed to her

Mimi Smiley – all I need is her information to send her a personally inscribed poster for the book

Nima Beckie – who entered just for the fun of it.

Thank you all! Unfortunately, no one could come up with an answer to the question, “Why is this called a garden tub if it’s in the house?” so I’ll research that myself.

This showed up in my spam folder and, while I can’t quite figure out what it means, I did go to the website. I am neither endorsing nor condemming it, but as someone with bipolar in the family, this might be a good source of information. I’ll leave you to decide that for yourself.